Sanath Thomas Samuel B.Arch third year portfolio

I am a third year architecture student studying at college of architecture trivandrum, (CAT) Kerala, India.

growing up in south africa, I have lived in various cities and have been to multiple schools, always associating myself with a variety of people from various backgrounds. this moulded me into someone who is always exicted to meet new people and make their acquaintance.

this opened my eyes to how people lived differently in different places and I noticed, from a young age, how the buildings were shaped by the people who

live in them, creating “living works of art”

location: vilapilshala, trivandrum, kerala, Indiaarea: 121 m 2 / 1300ft 2

type: community centre, gathering space, recreational area.

ownership: public

users: people who visit the vilapilshala junction and use facilities such as, bus stop, auto stand, fish market and schools.

brief: to create a community space for the people of vilapilshala. spaces required include space for, gathering, playing board games, reading the newspaper

site

buildable area after KMBR setbacks

views into siteexisting vegetation

admin restroom notice boards

gathering space local festivals cultural games

reading space interaction space meeting space

vehicular circulation

pedestrian circulation

the initial concept for the project was to create a space which reflected the community, vilapilshala being a major bus stop and market hub for the surrounding villages, this idea stuck till the end of the project

the spaces designed are multifunctional, intended to be used by different types of users, for a variety of purposes

indian cultures use lanterns for many cultural festivals

traditional Indian lamps were of orange-bronze in colour, which has become an icon of Indian culture

the shadow patterns created by the light diffuses the light as well as letting it in

this simple structure has a base as well as 4 supporting coloums made from rammed earth supporting a thatched roof

the facades are made from bamboo screens that can be rotated to increase and decrease the amount of light entering the space

concept: “courtyards have always been in the middle of the house or surrounded by the house, what if the courtyard was surrounding the house?” was the question which lead to me exploring the possibilities of a house wrapped by a courtyard

a house surrounded by vegetation would would not only lead to cooler interiors, but also met the requirement of the user, which was to always have access to the courtyard for peace and tranquility

the wrapped courtyard acts as a visual as well as a sound barrier from the adjacent homes

location: mukkola, trivandrum, kerala, Indiaarea: 195 sqm 2 / 2100 ft 2type: private residenceownership: private

users: typical non resident indianv family from kerala, father is a 50 year old university lecturer and part time music director. son is an engineering pass out, working as an intern. a daughter who is married and settled in with her husband. mom is a retired nurse currently a housewife

brief: to create a living space for a modern family of a couple when they are on vacation, a guesthouse is needed to accommodate guests

the site was flat, but split into 3 levels. the main focus of this design was to create a continuity in activity spaces through the house without moving any earth, therefore, activities were split according to public, semi-public and private

the entrance is greeted by the garage and stairs leading up to the main floor the staircase is surrounded by tall vegetation that envelopes it, making the user feel like they are “climbing” the bamboo plant as they move up

plansectionstudying architecture has led me to explore many creative activities such as, model making, sketching and photography, which I would not have got the opportunity to explore otherwise.

during my course thus far, I have started to use; cad softwares such as autocad and rhino, modelling in sketchup and rendering softwares such as vray and lumion.

the projects shown in this document show my interest and passion for architecture and its impact on society. as well as my versatility in thinking, which reflected in my desire to continuously learn and explore.

an internship under the guidance of the right architect will enable me to keep learning and exploring.

Thank you

sanath samuel

b.arch student

+91 8113899251 sanathsamuel@outlook.com sanathsamuel@icloud.com